Stokes: I would never ever ever 'Mankad' Kohli!

Ben Stokes has weighed in on cricket's 'Mankad' debate, saying he could not be tempted to use the tactic - even in a hypothetical Cricket World Cup final meeting with Virat Kohli.

Ravichandran Ashwin prompted fury on Monday when he stopped his bowling action in an Indian Premier League match to stump the wandering Jos Buttler, giving the Rajasthan Royals batsman no warning.

Kings XI Punjab had previously had no answer to Buttler, who was 69 not out off 43 balls and was incensed by Ashwin's actions.

The India spinner came in for intense criticism, but he insisted he had done nothing wrong and dismissed references to "the spirit of the game".

"My actions were within cricket's rules, can't be called unsporting." - @ashwinravi99 responds to accusations of him unfairly running out @josbuttler . #RRvKXIP #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/ygOmyGTzCL

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 25, 2019

Australia great Shane Warne kept the conversation going on social media and asked his Twitter followers what the reaction might have been if England all-rounder Stokes had similarly caught out India captain Kohli in the upcoming World Cup.

"If Ben Stokes did what Ashwin did to Virat Kohli, it would be OK?" Warne said to those defending Ashwin.

"I'm just very disappointed in Ashwin as I thought he had integrity and class. Kings lost a lot of supporters tonight - especially young boys and girls! I do hope the BCCI does something."

Having received numerous messages on the subject, Buttler's Royals and England team-mate Stokes took to his own Twitter account to respond.

"Hopefully I'm playing in the World Cup final and, if Virat Kohli is batting when I'm bowling, I would never ever ever ever ever ever ['Mankad' him]," he wrote.

Hopefully I’m playing in the World Cup final and if @imVkohli is batting when I’m bowling I would never ever ever ever ever ever.....just clarifying to the mentions I’ve received #hallabol

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) March 26, 2019

"[I'm] just clarifying to the mentions I've received."

The Royals will look to bounce back from their opening defeat when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday, while the World Cup gets under way on May 30.